Fuel Cells are devices that release electrical energy using an electrochemical reaction. A major class of fuel cells utilizes hydrogen fuel, and the electrochemical oxidation of hydrogen to water is catalyzed using electrodes containing precious metal catalysts. Precious metal catalytic elements for use in precious metal catalysts include, but are not limited to, platinum (Pt), ruthenium (Ru), palladium (Pd), gold (Au), and rhodium (Rh). It is widely accepted that the high cost and limited supply of platinum and other catalytic elements are obstacles to large scale commercialization of fuel cells.
There are several types of fuel cells. Most common is the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell. The PEM forms the basis for a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), which is the structure by which hydrogen can be oxidized to generate electricity. An anode (i.e., a negative electrode) is provided on one side of the PEM and a cathode (i.e., a positive electrode) is provided on the opposite side of the PEM. The anode contains a catalyst, typically comprising platinum, for promoting dissociation of hydrogen into electrons and positive hydrogen ions. The cathode also contains a catalyst, typically comprising platinum, for promoting reduction of oxygen. An MEA typically carries a catalytic element loading between about 0.5 mg/cm2 and 4 mg/cm2, although recent research has obtained effective performance with catalytic element loadings as low as 0.15 mg/cm2. Typically, these loadings in current commercial fuel cells translate to about 0.5% to 2.0% by weight of catalytic element in the MEA.
A commonly used polymer electrode membrane is Nafion™ by E.I. DuPont de Nemours Company. Nafion™, a Teflon™-based polymer, is a sulfonated perfluropolymer. Even when using a membrane that is itself free of fluorine, a perfluropolymer ionomer is typically mixed into the electrocatalyst layers (i.e., the anion and the cation) to improve the mobility of the positive hydrogen ions. Additionally, the presence of a fluoride-rich polymer tends to make the powder of the MEA hydrophobic when the MEA is ground.
In some PEM fuel cells, a carbonaceous gas diffusion layer is applied to the anode and another carbonaceous gas diffusion layer is applied to the cathode to form a catalyst coated membrane (CCM). The gas diffusion layers provide for the uniform distribution of hydrogen and oxygen to their respective sides of the PEM, provide a conductive pathway for electricity to be transmitted out of the fuel cell, and provide a porous structure for the water produced by the electrochemical reaction to be transported away.
Other types of fuel cells also utilize catalytic elements such as platinum, including alkaline fuel cells (AFC) and phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC). After a period of use, a fuel cell often must be replaced, because of fouling of the catalyst, or for another reason. Due to the value of the precious metal catalyst, it is highly desirable to recover as much precious metal as possible from the MEA.
The conventional approach to recover of platinum and other precious metal catalytic elements from an MEA includes combusting the PEM and the carbonaceous diffusion layers, dissolving the resultant ash in acid, and purifying the precious metal using standard refining chemistry. However, the high fluorine content of the MEA, particularly those with Nafion™ or other Teflon™-based membranes, results in toxic emissions of hydrogen fluoride gas (HF) and other fluorine compounds (e.g., carbonyl fluoride or COF2) from the combustion process.